UC-NRLF 


The 

Pine-Needle  Basket 
Book 


•  .    MRS.  M.  j.  MCAFEE, 

ORIGINATOR  OF   PINE-NEEDLE   BASKETS. 

(Taken   at    the   Age   of   Sixty-eight.) 


The 
Pine-Needle  Basket  Book 

BY 

MRS.  M.  J.  MCAFEE 

Originator  of  Pine-Needle  Basketry 


Illustrated 

By 
MRS.  EDWIN  LANG 


With  an  Introduction 

By 
DR.  LOY  MCAFEE  INGHRAM 


THE  PINE-NEEDLE  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK 

1911 


•  fc«  :  COPYRIGHT,    IQI  I, 

BY    DR.    LOY    MCAFEE    INGHRAM. 


INTRODUCTION 

BY 

DR.  LOY  McAFEE  INGHRAM 


286196 


THE  "PiNY  WOODS." 


A   PERSONAL    NOTE 


"All  outward  wisdom  yields  to  that  within, 

Whereof  nor  creed  nor  cannon  holds  the  key ; 
We  only  feel  that  we  have  been, 
And  evermore  shall  be. 

"And  thus  I  know,  by  memories  unfurled, 

In  rarer  moods,  and  many  a  nameless  sign, 
That  once  in  Time,  and  somewhere  in  the  world, 
I  was  a  towering  Pine." 

— Bayard  Taylor. 


If,  as  the  Vedantists  believe,  the  soul  sleeps  in  plants,  dreams  in 
animals,  and  awakes  to  its  fullest  being  in  man,  a  whole  forest  of  pine 
trees  must  have  become  sentient  when  I  was  born. 

Pine  trees,   baby  pines,  pine  needles,   pine  burs,   "pine  knots"- 
anything  and  all  things  associated  with  the  pine — have  always  held  for 
me  some  mystic  spell. 

My  earliest  recollections  centre  around  the  "piny  woods"  of 
Georgia,  and  the  Georgia  pine  is  to  me  the  queen  of  the  forest,  the 
"mother  of  legends." 

How  many  a  happy  hour  have  I  spent  "riding  horse"  on  a  pliant 
pine  sapling  in  the  thicket  behind  the  garden  of  my  childhood  home! 

How  many  a  thrilling  toboggan  slide  have  I  had  on  the  sleek  pine 
needles  that  covered  the  hill  behind  the  old  school  house! 

How  many  a  time  have  I  risked  limb  and  life  to  gather  the  luscious 
muscadines  from  the  vine  entangled  in  the  boughs  of  some  tall  and  wind- 
swept pine! 

How  many  a  time,  tired  from  roaming  the  woods,  have  I  stretched 
myself  full-length  upon  the  fragrant  pine-needle  carpet,  beneath  the  trees, 
to  dream  the  hours  away  under  the  mystic  spell  of  the  music  of  the  pines! 

And  how  many  a  time,  in  later  years,  have  I  looked  up  from  the 
"canons  of  brick  and  mortar  to  the  ribbon  of  sky  overhead,"  and  longed 
to  do  all  these  things  once  more,  "far  from  the  madding  crowd's  ignoble 
strife,"  deep  in  the  fastness  of  the  "piny  woods," 

"Where  all  the  winds  were  tranquil, 
And  all  the  odors  sweet." 


Through  the  years  of  activity  in  another  sphere  I  have  looked  for- 
ward to  the  time  when  I  might  pay  some  modest  tribute  to  my  forest 
queen;  when  I  might  bring  from  her  still  sleeping  soul  some  message  to 
the  soul  of  the  waking  world. 

In  response  to  this  desire  the  Pine-Needle  Publishing  Company  has 
come  into  existence.  From  time  to  time,  as  opportunity  and  inspiration 
meet,  this  inherent  and  abiding  love  for  the  pine  tree  will  be  expressed  in 
whatever  manner  the  inclination  of  the  moment  may  suggest. 

It  has  seemed  fitting,  for  several  reasons,  that  the  first  effort  in  this 
direction  should  be  "The  Pine-Needle  Basket  Book,"  which  my  mother, 
the  originator  of  pine-needle  basketry,  has  formulated,  and  my  sister, 
Mrs.  Edwin  Lang,  has  illustrated. 

Being  myself  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  gospel  of  work,  and  believ- 
ing sincerely  that  there  is  no  age-limit  to  usefulness,  it  occurred  to  me  that 
if  my  mother,  who  was  seventy  years  old  last  December,  and  who  is  still 
an  active  member  of  the  work-a-day  world,  would  publish  something  of 
her  work  as  a  seventy-year  mile-post,  it  might  serve  to  encourage  others 
along  the  journey  of  life. 

Furthermore,  the  book  will  answer  the  oft-repeated  request  from 
her  many  pupils  in  basketry  for  the  published  technic  of  pine-needle  basket 
making.  Having  taught  the  basket  work  class  of  the  Summer  School  of 
the  University  of  Tennessee,  at  Knoxville,  for  the  past  five  years,  the 
present  session  being  the  sixth,  her  pupils  now  number  several  hundred, 
many  of  whom  will  doubtless  be  pleased  to  see  a  contribution  to  craftsman 
literature  by  "the  Grandmother  of  the  Summer  School." 


When  we  were  children  down  in  Dixie  our  grandfather,  my  mother's 
father,  was  wont  to  relate,  to  all  who  did  not  know  the  story,  tfie  history 
of  the  wonderful  hat  which  "Mary  Jane"  made  for  him  during  the  War 
out  of  the  needles  of  the  long-leaf  pine.  No  panama  was  ever  lighter  or 
more  comfortable  to  wear.  The  only  head  covering  for  which  he  would 
voluntarily  relinquish  it  was  the  cap  of  gray,  which,  though  beyond  the 
conscript  age-limit,  he  wore  in  active  service  during  the  last  three  years 
of  the  War. 

This  pine-needle  hat  was  the  tangible  expression  of  that  necessity 
which  has  ever  been  the  mother  of  invention,  and  was  the  progenitor  of 
the  pine-needle  basket,  as  portrayed  in  the  pages  which  follow. 

When  the  supply  of  hats  gave  out  in  the  family,  or  families,  during 
the  War,  there  were  no  others  obtainable  with  which  to  supply  the  de 
ficiency,  for  the  nearest  town  was  thirty  miles  away,  and  there  were  no 
trains  or  trolleys  by  which  to  reach  it. 


My  mother,  in  an  effort  to  supply  the  need  for  hats,  made  one  of 
bulrushes,  but  it  proved  too  heavy  to  be  worn  with  comfort.  While  still 
searching  for  some  native  product  from  which  to  make  a  hat  light  enough 
to  be  worn  with  ease,  she  happened  to  see  a  limb  of  long-leaf  pine  in  a 
wagon  load  of  "pine  straw"  with  which  the  negroes  were  covering  the 
potato  beds — a  custom  still  followed  in  the  rural  districts  of  Georgia. 

She  conceived  the  idea  that  these  long,  slender  needles  might  be  so 
treated  as  to  render  them  sufficiently  tough  to  be  woven  into  a  hat,  while 
still  retaining  their  pliability.  She  succeeded,  after  some  experimentation, 
in  accomplishing  this  in  the  manner  detailed  in  the  description  of  her  work. 
The  pine-needle  hat  of  which  our  grandfather  loved  to  tell  was  the  first 
product  of  her  new-found  craft. 

The  last  spool  of  Coats  thread  was  used  in  making  this  hat,  and 
for  all  the  others  "homespun"  cotton  thread  was  employed. 

When  the  War  ended,  the  so-called  reconstruction  days  were  verit- 
able ones  for  her,  with  a  growing  family  to  minister  to  under  a  totally  new 
regime.  And  so  the  pine-needle  hat  became  a  part  of  wartime  family 
lore,  kept  more  or  less  fresh  in  mind  by  my  grandfather's  pride  in  the  fact 
that  "Mary  Jane"  could  meet  such  an  emergency  as  a  dearth  of  hats  in 
such  an  admirable  manner. 

The  family  of  five  children  had  developed  into  men  and  women, 
and  the  impromptu  hatmaker  had  become  a  grandmother,  when  the  craft 
was  revived,  again  in  an  accidental  manner,  and  for  a  different  purpose. 

When  the  writer  was  a  "freshman  medic"  she  acquired  the  spruce 
pillow  fad — for  were  we  not  told  by  our  professor  of  materia  medica 
that  tired  brains  may  be  soothed  into  forgetfulness  of  quizzes,  "exams" 
and  other  horrors  of  medical  college  life  by  the  fragrance  of  oleum  pini 
sylvestris?  No  college  "den"  was  complete  without  one  or  more  spruce 
pillows.  While  my  love  for  the  pine  tree  was  and  is  sufficiently  general 
to  include  every  branch  of  the  very  large  pinus  family,  which  embraces 
the  spruce  pillow  variety,  my  preference  naturally  inclined  me  to  want  a 
pillow  of  the  Georgia  pine.  No  northern  member  of  the  pine  family,  I 
imagined,  could  possibly  be  more  fragrant  and  soothing  than  its  southern 
relative.  Imbued  with  this  idea,  I  wrote  my  mother  to  send  me  from 
Georgia  to  New  York  a  bagful  of  needles  of  Georgia  pine. 

She  was  in  the  heart  of  the  "piny  woods"  at  the  time,  where  forests 
of  long-leaf  pine  stretch  for  miles  over  the  sand  fields.  She  gathered  the 
neighborhood  children  into  a  small  and  vociferous  army  of  invasion,  and 
marched  them  to  the  woods  to  gather  the  pine  needles,  promising  to  tell 
them  stories  as  a  reward  for  their  assistance. 

When  their  baskets,  filled  with  the  fresh  green  needles,  were  brought 
to  her  a  particularly  beautiful  sprig  of  long-leaf  pine  caught  her  eye.  The 

9 


chasm  of  intervening  years  was  spanned  in  an  instant,  and  the  craft  of  the 
bygone  day,  born  of  the  necessity  of  the  time,  came  back  to  mind  with 
a  thousand  associated  memories.  It  was  all  woven  into  a  wartime  story, 
to  which  the  children  listened  with  intense  interest. 

The  end  of  the  story  was  greeted  with  a  chorus  of  approval,  the 
refrain  of  which  was,  "Oh,  Grandmamma,  do  make  us  a  hat!"  And 
so,  without  waiting  for  the  needles  to  be  properly  cured,  "Grandmamma" 
proceeded  to  make  a  doll  hat  or  a  basket  for  each  of  the  children. 

By  the  time  this  feat  was  accomplished  the  facility  for  weaving  the 
needles  into  shapeful  objects  had  returned.  Her  own  interest  was  again 
aroused,  and  the  abandoned  craft  was  revived  with  a  new  application. 
From  this  modest  beginning  has  been  evolved  pine-needle  basketry,  the 
technic  of  which  my  mother  gives  in  the  pages  which  follow. 

One  of  the  little  hats  is  shown  in  Fig.  9-C,  reproduced  from 
"Indian  and  Other  Basket  Making,"  by  George  Wharton  James,  of 
Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  who  published  a  group  of  my  mother's  earliest 
baskets. 


10 


THE    LONG-LEAF    PINE 


A  few  words  about  the  long-leaf  pine,  the  leaves  of  which  are  used 
in  making  the  pine-needle  baskets,  may  not  be  amiss  in  this  connection. 

The  tree,  the  botanical  name  of  which  is  pinus  palustris,  is  variously 
known  as  the  long-leaf  pine,  the  Georgia  pine,  the  southern  pine,  the  yel- 
low pine,  the  pitch  pine,  etc. 

Its  stately  grandeur  is  limned  upon  the  landscape  from  the  southern 
frontier  of  Virginia  to  the  savannas  bordering  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and 
from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  the  Rio  Grande  River. 

Forests  of  this  valuable  timber  tree  extend  over  an  area  of  from 
90,000  to  100,000  square  miles,  in  Virginia,  North  Carolina,  South 
Carolina,  Georgia,  Alabama,  Florida  and  Texas. 

The  yield  in  timber  and  other  products  of  the  long-leaf  pine  is  of 
great  commercial  and  industrial  importance.  Industries  which  involve  the 
outlay  of  enormous  capital  and  the  employment  of  immense  numbers  of 
people  are  dependent  upon  the  forests  of  this  tree. 

From  the  baby  pine,  shown  in  Fig.  1 ,  the  long-leaf  pine  grows  tall, 
straight  and  gradually  tapering,  with  the  limbs  clustered  in  a  crown  which 
embraces  one-half  or  one-third  of  the  trunk,  as  shown  in  Fig.  2,  repro- 
duced from  Bulletin  No.  13  (Revised  Edition),  U.  S.  Department  of 
Agriculture,  Division  of  Forestry.  It  sometimes  attains  a  height  of  1  1  0 
feet,  though  the  average  height  is  100  feet.  The  diameter  of  the  trunk 
four  or  five  feet  from  the  ground  is  from  20  to  36  inches. 

As  a  timber  tree  the  long-leaf  pine  is  surpassed  in  economic  im- 
portance by  no  other  forest  tree.  About  1,500,000,000  feet,  board 
measure,  or  practically  one-third  of  all  the  lumber  manufactured  in  the 
South,  is  annually  exported  from  Southern  ports  to  domestic  and  foreign 
ports.  In  addition  to  this  a  large  proportion  of  the  material  employed 
in  this  country  in  the  construction  of  buildings  of  all  kinds  is  obtained  from 
the  long-leaf  pine  forest.  The  timber  is  used  in  naval  architecture  for 
masts  and  spars,  and  in  civil  engineering  for  the  construction  of  bridges, 
viaducts  and  trestlework.  It  is  also  used  in  the  manufacture  of  furniture, 
for  ornamental  interior  woodwork,  and  in  various  arts  and  industries. 

As  fuel,  in  the  form  of  firewood  and  charcoal,  the  long-leaf  pine  is 
a  source  of  revenue.  The  "lightwood,"  by  the  light  of  which  many  an 
education  was  obtained  in  the  olden  days,  is  a  product  well  known 
throughout  the  pine  belts  of  the  South.  This  resin-charged,  highly  inflam- 
mable wood  is  used  extensively  for  kindling  and  for  torches,  from  which 
uses  it  received  its  name.  The  "pme  knots"  are  the  richest  of  all  in  resin 
and,  being  hard,  burn  longest  and  brightest.  The  roots,  which  are  also 
rich  in  resin,  are  used  in  the  same  manner  as  are  the  knots. 

11 


PlNUS  PALUSTRIS:   SEEDLINGS  AND  YOUNG  PLANT. 


FIG.   i. — Seedlings  and  Baby  Pines. 


FIG.  2. — Long-leaf  Pine  T 


The  resinous  product  of  the  long-leaf  pine  gives  rise  to  a  number  of 
important  and  lucrative  industries.  The  naval  stores  of  the  world  are  very 
largely  derived  from  the  resinous  output  of  the  long-leaf  pine  forests  of  the 
South.  These  include  resin,  or  crude  turpentine;  spirits  of  turpentine,  or 
oil  of  turpentine ;  rosin,  or  colophony ;  pine  tar,  and  common  pitch. 

According  to  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Agriculture,  Division  of  Forestry, 
the  foreign  export  of  spirits  of  turpentine  alone  amounted  in  a  single  year, 
1892,  to  over  260,000  casks,  the  total  production  exceeding  350,000 
casks.  Such  an  amount  of  turpentine  necessitated  the  utilization  of  2,500,- 
000  acres  of  pine  forest.  The  exports  of  spirits  of  turpentine  and  rosin 
for  the  year  1890  amounted  to  $8,135,339. 

So  far  as  the  writer  is  aware,  the  cone,  or  seed  bearing  part,  of  the 
long-leaf  pine  is  of  no  commercial  value.  A  fully  developed  cone,  with 
detached  seeds,  is  shown  in  Fig.  4.  The  smaller  cones,  some  of  which 
are  shown  in  Fig.  3,  are  used  for  decorative  purposes  in  making  pine- 
needle  baskets.  The  scales  of  the  fully  grown  cones  have  been  used  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent  in  the  making  of  picture  frames,  screens  for  open  fire- 
places, and  for  other  ornamental  purposes.  I  remember  having  seen  a  very 
beautiful  screen  made  from  these  scales,  which  were  sewn,  by  hand,  upon 
cardboard  or  heavy  paper,  the  whole  being  framed  with  wood  to  har- 
monize in  color  with  the  rich  brown  of  the  pine  cone. 

The  leaves,  or  needles,  of  the  long-leaf  pine  are  used  for  various 
purposes  other  than  the  making  of  baskets.  In  reply  to  a  request  for  in- 
formation concerning  the  various  methods  of  utilizing  this  particular  part 
of  the  pine  tree,  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  through  one  of 
its  "experts,"  sent  the  following  interesting  communication:  "So  far  as  I 
am  informed  the  principal  use  for  pine  needles  anywhere  in  the  South  is 
for  fertilizer.  They  are,  as  a  rule,  used  for  bedding,  either  in  the  stalls  or 
over  the  surface  of  the  barnyard,  and  after  being  fermented  for  some  time 
in  this  position  are  then  hauled  out  onto  the  field.  This  manure  is,  as  a 
rule,  distributed  in  the  furrows  and  the  crop  is  planted  over  it."  Atten- 
tion has  already  been  called  to  another  similarly  unpoetic  use  to  which 
the  needles  are  put,  namely,  the  covering  of  potato  beds  and  strawberry 
beds.  Nor  are  these  the  only  useful  ways  of  utilizing  the  leaves  of  the 
pine  tree. 

From  the  green  leaves  is  derived,  by  destructive  distillation,  the 
essential  oil  of  pine,  which  is  used  so  largely  in  pharmacy  in  the  manu- 
facture of  antiseptic  solutions,  cough  syrups,  expectorants,  perfumes,  etc., 
and  which,  exuding  from  its  leaves,  gives  to  the  pine  forest  its  delightful 
odor. 

The  cellular  tissue  of  the  pine  needles  is  used  in  making  "pine  wool," 
utilized  by  upholsterers.  An  attempt  was  made  to  employ  this  in  the 

14 


PLATE  V. 


PlNUS  PALUSTRIS:   MALE  AND  FEMALE  FLOWERS. 


FIG.  3. — Showing  How  the  Burs  Grow. 


Bulletin  No.  13,  Division  ol  F 


PlNUS  PALUSTftlS:    CONE   AND  SEED.. 


FIG.  4. — Fully  Developed  Pine  Cone,  with  Detached  Seeds  and  Scales, 


u; 


f 

making  of  an  antiseptic  dressing  for  wounds,  but,  so  far  as  I  have  been 
able  to  ascertain,  this  was  abandoned  after  a  brief  attempt  to  popularize 
the  product. 

According  to  the  Government  bulletin  previously  quoted,  which  was 
issued  in  1897,  various  kinds  of  textile  fabrics  have  been  made  from  the 
needles  of  the  long-leaf  pine.  One  of  these  was  a  carpet,  somewhat  re- 
sembling cocoa  matting,  but  very  closely  woven  and  quite  durable.  I  am 
informed  that  this  industry,  like  that  of  the  manufacture  of  a  surgical 
dressing  from  the  needles,  was  soon  abandoned.  Latterly  attempts  have 
been  made  to  produce  finer  textile  fabrics  from  the  needles,  with  what 
degree  of  success  I  have  been  unable  to  ascertain. 

The  dead  needles,  when  undisturbed,  form  a  thick  carpet  under  the 
trees  upon  which  they  have  grown.  Subjected  to  friction,  as  where  they 
are  trampled  upon  in  walking,  they  become  very  sleek.  This  fact  was 
utilized  when  we  were  children  for  toboggan  purposes.  I  shall  never 
forget  the  thrilling  rides  we  used  to  have  down  the  hill  behind  the  old 
school  house.  The  hill  was  quite  steep,  and  at  its  foot  passed  a  turbulent 
stream.  The  narrow  footpath  leading  down  the  hill  was  literally  as  sleek 
as  glass,  and  when  the  sled,  which  our  older  brothers  had  improvised 
for  the  purpose,  was  started  on  its  reckless  career  toward  the  creek 
below,  there  was  no  stopping  it  until  it  reached  level  ground.  The  only 
thing  that  saved  us  from  a  watery  grave  in  the  creek,  or  from  being  dashed 
upon  the  rocks  on  its  banks,  was  that  "special  Providence  which  takes 
care  of  fools,  children  and  dogs." 

Another  school-day  use  of  the  needles  is  brought  to  mind  by 
Hayne's  little  poem,  "Pine  Needles": 

"If  Mother  Nature  patches  leaves  of  trees  and  vines, 
I'm  sure  she  does  her  darning  with  the  needles  of  the  pines, 
They  are  so  long  and  slender;  and  somewhere  in  full  view, 
She  has  her  threads  of  cobweb  and  a  thimble  made  of  dew." 

We  used  to  make  elaborate  hats,  aprons  and  even  dresses  of  large 
oak,  hickory  or  grape  leaves,  using  pine  needles  as  pins  to  hold  the 
parts  together. 


If  this  modest  little  brochure  serves  the  purpose  of  arousing  interest 
in  the  pine  tree,  of  helping  any  craftsman  to  weave  its  needles  into  the 
enduring  expressions  of  beauty  which  the  pine-needle  baskets  represent,  and 
if  any  way-worn  traveler  is  encouraged  to  take  heart  again — the  message 
from  the  forest  world  to  the  human  world  is  not  in  vain. 

17 


.Bullttin  No.  U,  Division  of  For.»try. 


PlNUS  PALUSTRIS:    BUD  AND  LEAF. 


FIG.  5.— Showing  How  Pine-Needles  Grow,  with  Cross  and  Longitudinal 
Sections  of  a  Single  Needle. 


18 


PINE 'NEEDLE  BASKETRY 

BY 

MRS.  M.  J.  McAFEE 


DESCRIPTION  AND  PREPARATION 
OF    MATERIALS 


HE  long-leaf  pine  needles  may  be  gathered  green  at  any 
season.  Experience  has  taught,  however,  that  the  best 
time  to  gather  them  is  in  the  autumn.  Those  which  fall 
from  the  trees,  dry  or  dead,  make  the  most  attractive 
baskets.  They  are  generally  of  a  rich  brown,  and  have 
a  hard  surface,  which  renders  baskets  made  from  them  both  beautiful  and 
durable. 

From  the  green  of  the  fresh  needles  to  the  mahogany  brown  of  those 
which  are  gathered  dry  there  is  a  wide  range  of  coloring  obtainable  by 
careful  manipulation.  Once  a  shade  is  fixed  by  the  curing  process,  it  is 
never  lost.  Baskets  retain  their  original  coloring  as  long  as  they  exist.  No 
artificial  coloring  whatsoever  is  employed  in  the  treatment  of  the  needles. 

Despite  the  treatment  to  which  the  needles  are  subjected  in  the 
curing,  they  retain  the  delightful  pine  odor,  due  to  a  certain  proportion 
of  the  essential  oil  of  pine  which  remains  in  them. 

The  green  needles  are  pulled  from  the  limbs  and  spread  out  in  a 
cool,  dark  place  to  dry.  In  two  or  three  weeks  they  are  ready  for  use. 
If  dried  in  absolute  darkness  they  will  be  a  beautiful  soft  green,  the  tone 
varying  according  to  the  amount  of  light  to  which  the  needles  are  exposed 
while  drying. 

The  needles  may  be  cured  in  a  shorter  time  by  pouring  boiling  water 
over  them  before  they  are  spread  out  to  dry.  Treated  in  this  way,  how- 
ever, the  color  is  not  so  good  as  when  they  are  allowed  to  dry  more  slowly. 

To  cure  the  needles  brown  they  must  be  exposed  to  the  sun  for  a 
few  weeks.  For  convenience  of  handling  they  may  be  left  on  the  limbs. 
In  summer  they  will  brown  in  a  week  or  two,  but  in  winter  it  takes  longer. 
They  should  be  left  out  day  and  night,  in  all  we'ather,  and  turned  occa- 
sionally to  allow  them  to  brown  on  all  sides. 

The  well-matured  needles  generally  turn  a  darker,  richer  brown  than 
the  younger  ones.  On  a  limb  gathered  from  the  tree  in  spring  or  summer 
there  will  be  in  the  bud  a  number  of  short  needles  not  fully  matured; 
these  often  dry  a  soft  yellow-brown,  and  now  and  then  a  straw  color. 

The  combination  of  these  lighter  tones  with  the  dark,  rich  browns  is 
very  effective. 

21 


U 


22 


The  best  time  to  gather  the  brown  needles  as  they  fall  from  the  trees, 
having  dried  naturally  as  other  leaves  dry  and  fall,  is  in  the  autumn,  when 
the  ground  under  the  trees  is  covered  with  beautiful  needles  ready  for  use. 

If  desired,  there  may  be  used  for  the  ornamentation  of  the  pine-needle 
baskets  various  grasses,  manila,  raffia,  corn  husks,  yucca,  and  the  long 
leaves  or  "fodder"  of  the  sorghum  cane  or  millet.  Illustrations  of  such 
ornamentation  are  shown  in  Figs.  12,  13,  15,  17. 

The  basket  maker  who  desires  to  use  native  materials  may  find  an 
abundance  of  beautiful  grasses  growing  in  the  fields,  by  the  roadside,  in 
the  woods,  everywhere.  These  may  be  gathered  green  at  any  time,  ex- 
cept when  too  young  and  tender  to  be  available,  and  spread  out  in  the 
shade  to  dry.  There  may  be  found  also  dried  grasses  of  good  texture 
and  color. 

Manila  and  raffia  are  too  well  known  to  the  basket  maker  to  need 
description.  They  must  be  dyed  in  order  to  secure  good  color  harmony, 
though  the  darker  tones  of  the  natural  raffia  may  be  used  with  the  brown 
pine  needles  with  very  good  effect. 

Corn  husks  may  be  utilized  as  taken  from  the  corn  after  harvest,  or 
they  may  be  gathered  green  and  dried  in  the  shade. 

The  bud  or  new  spring  growth  of  the  sword-shaped  leaves  of  the 
yucca  plant,  when  shredded  and  dried  in  the  shade,  are  of  suitable  texture 
for  combining  with  the  pine  needles.  The  color  ranges  from  almost  white, 
through  yellow,  to  green,  according  to  the  stage  of  growth  in  which  they 
are  gathered. 

Of  all  the  above  ornamental  materials  the  sorghum  or  millet  "fodder" 
is  the  most  beautiful  in  texture  and  in  color.  It  also  has  the  advantage  of 
being  easily  obtained,  inasmuch  as  it  grows  everywhere  in  the  South,  where 
it  is  extensively  cultivated  for  forage  and  for  making  sorghum  molasses. 

When  the  millet  is  grown  especially  for  basketry  it  is  best  planted 
on  poor  soil,  as  the  growth  is  then  smaller,  the  leaves  better  in  texture 
and  the  color  richer. 

In  July  the  millet  begins  to  change  color.  From  this  time  until  it  is 
killed  by  the  frost  it  may  be  gathered  and  spread  out  in  the  shade  to  dry. 
By  watching  the  colors  as  they  appear,  and  by  gathering  the  leaves  at 
different  times,  one  may  secure  a  great  variety  of  yellows,  reds,  browns 
and  sometimes  rich  violet-reds. 

With  this  range  of  millet  coloring,  with  the  different  browns  and 
greens  of  the  pine  needles,  and  with  the  color  of  the  sewing  material,  many 
harmonious  combinations  may  be  evolved.  Nature-loving  craftsmen  find 
these  natural  colors  far  more  pleasing  than  the  artificial  shades  obtained  by 
means  of  dyes. 

The  long-leaf  pine  needles  grow  in  clusters  of  three  in  a  sheath,  as 

23 


shown  in  Fig.  5.  When  about  to  be  used  the  end  is  cut  off  and  the 
needles  slipped  from  the  sheath. 

As  they  must  be  worked  damp  enough  to  be  pliable,  hot  or  cold 
water  is  poured  over  the  needles,  which  are  immediately  wiped  dry  with 
a  cloth.  This  serves  the  double  purpose  of  dampening  and  cleansing  the 
needles.  The  lustre  and  color  may  be  very  much  improved  by  this 
cleansing  process. 

The  brown  needles  are  dampened  with  hot  water,  the  green  ones 
with  cold.  This  should  always  be  borne  in  mind,  as  hot  water  changes 
the  color  of  the  green  needles. 

They  should  never  be  left  in  either  hot  or  cold  water  longer  than 
a  few  minutes,  as  they  quickly  absorb  so  much  moisture  that  the  baskets 
will  not  be  firm  and  durable  when  finished. 

The  needles  are  now  rolled  in  a  damp  cloth  or  paper,  and  so  kept 
while  they  are  being  used. 

For  sewing  purposes  strong  cotton  or  linen  thread,  raffia  or  manila 
may  be  employed. 


25 


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TECHNIC     OF     PINE-NEEDLE 
BASKET    MAKING 


HE  beginner  will  find  it  less  difficult,  in  making  the  first  few 
baskets,  to  use  strong  cotton  or  linen  thread  in  sewing  the 
coil.  After  one  or  two  baskets  have  been  made,  and 
sufficient  skill  has  been  acquired  in  handling  the  pine 
needles,  raffia  or  manila  may  be  employed.  The  latter 
sewing  materials  are  better  suited  to  the  texture  of  the  pine  needles  than 
is  the  cotton  or  linen  thread. 

In  sewing  the  baskets  the  simple  coil  stitch  is  used,  as  shown  in  Fig. 
8.  A  small  roll  of  pine  needles,  wrapped  with  the  sewing  material  and 
coiled  upon  itself,  forms  the  "button"  which  is  the  very  centre  of  the 
basket. 

To  begin  the  button,  take  about  twelve  pine  needles,  or  enough  to 
make  a  coil  three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  Having  threaded  an 
ordinary  sewing  needle  with  thread,  tie  the  thread  around  the  pine  needles 
an  inch  from  the  coarser,  or  sheath  end;  then,  holding  the  needles  in  the 
left  hand,  wind  the  thread  around  twelve  or  fifteen  times,  as  shown  in 
Fig.  8.  This  wrapped  part  of  the  needles  must  be  very  carefully  coiled 
upon  itself  by  bringing  the  short  end  underneath  and  letting  the  free  end 
of  the  coil  pass  toward  the  left. 

Now  pass  the  thread  over  the  top  of  the  coil,  and  insert  the  sewing 
needle  diagonally  under  the  first  round  of  the  winding  thread,  letting  the 
point  of  the  needle  come  through  to  the  left  of  this  thread. 

This  forms  the  first  stitch,  and  the  sewing  is  continued  in  this  way 
until  each  round  of  the  winding  thread  has  been  taken  up.  The  sewing 
is  then  continued,  round  after  round,  care  being  taken  to  insert  the  needle 
well  into  the  coil,  letting  the  point  come  through  very  close  to  the  left  of 
each  stitch. 

Each  stitch  must  be  tightly  drawn  and  held  in  position  with  the 
finger  while  the  next  is  being  taken.  This  is  very  necessary  in  order  to 
insure  the  firmness  of  the  finished  product. 

Care  must  be  taken  from  the  first  to  space  the  stitches  evenly,  as  it 
is  difficult  later  on  to  correct  any  irregularity  in  this  regard.  The  lines  of 
sewing  radiating  from  the  centre  form  an  important  decorative  feature  of 
the  baskets. 

After  the  third  or  fourth  round,  when  it  becomes  necessary  to  insert 

27 


FIG.  9.— Group  of  Mrs.  McAfee's  Earliest  Baskets.     C,  "Cute  Little  Hat.' 


FIG.  10. — Basket  with  Handle  of 
Plaited  Pine-Needles. 

28 


pine  needles  in  order  to  enlarge  and  keep  the  coils  of  uniform  size,  open 
the  free  end  of  the  coil  close  to  the  last  stitch  and  insert  the  coarser  end  of 
two  or  three  pine  needles,  pushing  them  back  well  into  the  coil,  and  being 
careful  that  the  ends  do  not  show  on  the  surface. 

The  pine  needles  are  inserted  so  that  the  smooth  or  polished  side  is 
toward  the  outside  of  the  basket.  It  is  impossible  to  make  a  good  pine- 
needle  basket  unless  this  point  is  observed. 

.  The  coil  must  never  be  twisted,  as  beginners  are  liable  to  do;  it  must 
be  held  so  that  the  needles  seem  to  lay  flat  around  the  basket.  This  is  the 
test  of  good  workmanship.  The  beginner  finds  it  difficult  to  make  the 
polished  surface  of  the  needles  come  to  the  outside  or  decorative  part  of 
the  basket,  and  also  to  make  them  lay  flat  and  straight  around  the  basket 
as  the  work  proceeds. 


FIG.   ii. — Basket,  Actual  Size,  Made  by  Gertrude  Lang  at  the  Age  of 

Six  Years. 


After  the  sewing  has  continued  until  the  basket  is  large  enough,  let 
the  coil  run  out  by  cutting  out  a  third  of  the  needles  from  the  inside  of  the 
coil,  take  a  stitch,  cut  out  a  few  more  needles,  take  another  stitch,  cut  ofl 
the  remaining  needles,  sew  the  end  of  the  coil  firmly  down  inside  the 
basket,  finishing  the  edge  smoothly,  making  the  outline  perfect. 

It  is  well  to  let  the  first  basket  be  a  small  one  of  simple  form.  The 
modeling  of  the  basket  is  done  entirely  with  the  fingers  as  the  sewing 
proceeds. 

It  is  important  to  have  in  mind  from  the  beginning  a  definite  shape, 
or,  better  still,  to  make  a  full  size  drawing,  in  outline,  of  the  basket. 

29 


30 


Beginners  sometimes  find  it  difficult  to  keep  to  the  drawing,  but  re- 
peated effort  results  in  the  ability  to  make  any  desired  size  and  leads  to  a 
better  appreciation  of  form. 

After  practice  has  enabled  the  beginner  to  handle  materials  easily, 
raffia  or  manila  should  be  used  in  sewing.  For  this  chenille  needles, 
number  eighteen,  nineteen  or  twenty,  according  to  the  size  of  the  material 
to  be  carried,  are  employed. 

The  sewing  material,  if  raffia  or  manila,  must  be  kept  the  same  size, 
as  any  unevenness  mars  the  beauty  of  the  radiating  lines  of  sewing,  and 
gives  to  the  basket  a  more  or  less  crude  appearance. 

In  making  large  baskets  it  becomes  necessary  to  add  extra  stitches. 
This  should  always  be  done  in  the  bottom  of  the  basket,  or  just  on  the 
round  where  the  basket  begins  to  turn  up.  When  a  band  of  contrasting 
color  is  to  be  worked  in  the  extra  stitches  may  be  started  on  the  first  round 
of  the  band. 

This  extra  stitch  is  added  by  taking  two  stitches  in  the  same 
place  in  the  following  manner:  Take  a  stitch  in  the  usual  way, 
only  instead  of  drawing  it  to  the  left,  as  the  sewing  material  is  drawn 
around  the  coil,  pull  the  stitch  as  far  as  possible  to  the  right,  toward  the 
preceding  stitch.  The  next  stitch  may  be  called  the  extra  one,  and  it 
comes  in  in  the  same  place  as  that  just  taken,  except  that  the  point  of  the 
needle  comes  through  the  coil  close  to  the  right  instead  of  the  left  of  the 
stitch.  This  extra  stitch  is  drawn  toward  the  left  as  far  as  the  last  one  was 
to  the  right.  This  is  continued  around  the  basket. 

The  space  between  these  two  stitches  gradually  widens  as  the  sewing  • 
progresses.  This  may  be  taken  advantage  of  as  a  decorative  feature 
by  wrapping  the  coil  in  this  space  with  raffia  of  a  contrasting  tone.  The 
wrapping  begins  when  the  first  of  the  two  stitches  is  taken.  One  strand 
of  raffia  is  taken  and  wrapped  smoothly  around  the  coil  two  or  three 
times,  being  passed  over  the  top  of  the  coil  and  to  the  inside  of  the  basket, 
when  the  next,  or  extra,  stitch  is  taken. 

The  next  space  is  left  uncovered,  the  raffia  being  held  on  the  back 
of  the  coil  until  the  first  of  the  next  two  stitches  is  taken.  The  work  con- 
tinues around  the  basket,  and  as  the  next  round  begins  the  design  formed 
by  the  spaces  of  different  tones  will  be  seen.  In  Figs.  12,  13,  may  be 
seen  baskets  of  this  character.  The  design  may  be  varied  by  wrapping 
every  other  space,  making  different  proportions  of  light  and  dark,  or  there 
may  be  used  two  tones  of  raffia,  thus  varying  the  color  harmony.  Again, 
it  is  very  easy  to  make  the  spaces  vary  in  width.  A  little  experience  will 
lead  to  interesting  results,  as  this  decorative  feature  may  be  modified  in 
many  ways,  according  to  the  size  and  form  of  the  basket,  and  the  color 
of  the  materials  employed. 


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In  all  ornamentation  of  pine-needle  baskets  simplicity  is  the  keynote. 

In  the  simple  basket,  with  no  decoration,  the  radiating  lines  of  stitches 
form  the  only  design,  the  color  harmony  of  needles  and  sewing  material, 
together  with  beauty  of  form  and  excellence  of  workmanship,  being  the 
chief  attraction. 

It  must  be  kept  in  mind  that  designs  should  be  adapted  to  the  ma- 
terial, the  method  of  construction  and  the  form  of  basket  or  tray  to  be 
decorated. 

In  basketry,  as  in  every  other  form  of  handcraft,  a  knowledge  of 
the  fundamental  principles  of  design  leads  to  greater  freedom  of 
expression. 


FIG.   14. — Pine-Cone  Handle, 


It  does  not  come  within  the  scope  of  this  work  to  do  more  than 
suggest  to  the  student  that  in  the  simplest  form  of  pine-needle  decoration 
— the  straight  band  of  color — there  are  infinite  possibilities  in  applying  a 
knowledge  of  space  relations. 

After  mastering  the  difficulties  of  handling  materials,  the  attention 
will  naturally  be  turned  to  developing  skill  in  securing  good  form,  with 
which  will  come  a  desire  for  variety  of  design  and  color. 

The  finished  pine-needle  basket  should  bring  to  the  beholder  a  sense 
of  satisfaction  and  completeness,  with  no  desire  to  change  form  or  orna- 
mentation, or  to  vary  any  of  the  tone  relations. 

34 


Mi/ 


The  texture  of  millet  "fodder"  does  not  allow  the  design  to  follow 
anything  but  straight  lines.  These  may  be  broken  into  areas  of  different 
size  and  shape,  but  the  millet  must  follow  the  straight-around  direction  of 
the  coil. 

Millet  must  be  worked  slightly  damp.  The  quantity  to  be  used  is 
sprinkled  with  water  and  rolled  in  a  paper  a  few  minutes  before  using.  If 
kept  damp  too  long  it  loses  its  beautiful  rich  coloring. 

To  begin,  a  piece  of  millet  is  laid  along  the  outside  of  the  coil,  the 
larger  end  being  passed  over  the  top  of  the  coil,  close  to  the  last  stitch 
taken,  and  then  to  the  inside  of  the  basket.  One  stitch  is  taken  to  hold 
the  end  firmly  in  place,  the  edges  of  the  millet  are  next  folded  around  the 
the  coil,  and  the  sewing  is  proceeded  with,  round  after  round,  until  the 
band  of  millet  is  of  the  desired  width.  The  millet  is  then  passed  under 
the  coil  to  the  inside  of  the  basket,  and  cut  off,  the  pine  needles  being 
brought  again  to  the  surface. 

When  a  design,  other  than  the  straight  band,  is  to  be  put  in  the  millet 
is  started  in  the  same  way,  carried  as  far  as  necessary,  then  passed  to  the 
top  of  the  coil  and  back  to  the  inside  of  the  basket,  where  it  may  be  cut  off 
or  continued  on  the  back  of  the  coil  until  it  is  to  appear  again  on  the 
surface.  On  the  next  round  the  millet  is  started  and  ended  in  this  way, 
as  the  design  requires,  the  design  being  built  in,  round  after  round,  in  this 
manner. 

The  pine  cone  may  be  effectively  used  in  the  centre  of  the  basket 
lid  or  cover  as  a  handle  (Fig.  14). 

The  cones  may  be  gathered  green  and  spread  out  in  the  sun  or 
shade  to  dry,  or  they  may  be  gathered  dry  in  the  autumn  before  they  are 
too  widely  open. 

To  begin  the  cover,  wrap  one  strand  of  raffia  very  tightly  around 
the  larger  end  of  the  cone  as  many  times  as  necessary  to  form  the  begin- 
ning of  the  coil,  as  shown  in  Fig.  16.  Then  taking  a  coil  of  pine 
needles  the  size  of  that  used  in  the  basket,  begin  to  sew  this  to  the  raffia 
coil,  passing  the  sewing  needle  under  the  wrapping  of  raffia,  and  taking 
the  stitches  close  together.  The  sewing  is  continued  until  the  coil  of  pine 
needles  has  been  carried  around  the  cone,  then  the  stitches  are  taken  in  the 
usual  way. 

In  making  small  baskets  it  is  well  to  count  the  rows  of  stitches  around 
the  top  of  the  basket  and  start  the  cover  with  the  same  number;  then  the 
radiating  lines  of  sewing  form  the  same  number  of  double  curves  from  the 
centre  of  the  bottom  to  the  centre  of  the  cover. 

A  drawing  of  the  basket,  with  cover  on,  should  be  made.  The  size 
of  the  cone  must  be  taken  into  consideration  in  forming  a  perfectly  har- 
monious outline  of  the  whole. 

36 


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37 


Another  kind  of  handle  is  made  by  plaiting  or  braiding  pine  needles 
and  sewing  the  braid  to  the  cover,  as  shown  in  Figs.  10,  12,  18. 

The  simplest  form  of  cover  is  one  that  rests  flat  on  the  top  of  the 
basket.  In  making  this  the  cover  is  made  of  the  proper  size,  when  the 
coil  is  allowed  to  run  out  as  in  finishing  the  basket.  This  cover  may  be 
fastened  to  the  basket  by  means  of  the  sewing  material. 


i 

m 


FIG.  I/. — Millet-Fodder  Decorative  Bands;  Open  Pine-Cone  Handle. 


Another  cover  is  made  to  fit  over  the  top  of  the  basket.  In  this  case 
the  form  must  be  taken  into  consideration.  The  cover  is  made  one  round 
larger  than  the  top  of  the  basket,  and  then  is  turned  down.  After  making 
three  rounds  the  coil  is  allowed  to  run  out  and  the  edge  finished  smoothly. 
This  cover  must  fit  easily  over  the  basket. 

38 


< 


A  third  kind  of  cover  is  made  to  fit  into  the  basket,  and  may  be  made 
for  any  form  of  basket.  In  making  this  cover  the  work  is  continued  until 
the  cover  is  about  one  round  smaller  than  the  opening  of  the  basket.  The 
coil  is  then  turned  down  at  a  right  angle  and  three  rounds  made,  after 
which  it  is  ended  in  the  manner  described.  This  part  of  the  cover  must 
fit  loosely  into  the  basket.  Next,  one  round  of  coil  is  stitched  to  the  cover 
at  the  top  of  these  three  rounds,  the  sewing  being  commenced  where  the 
first  round  turns  down.  This  forms  a  ledge  to  keep  the  cover  from  slip- 
ping into  the  basket.  In  sewing  on  this  round  the  stitches  are  so  placed 
that  the  radiating  lines  of  sewing  -are  continued,  allowing  the  cover  to 
present  a  regular  surface  from  centre  to  edge.  The  coil  is  made  to  run 
out  and  the.  edge  is  finished  in  the  usual  manner. 


FIG.   19.— Thimble 

Basket,  Actual 

Size. 


40 


41 


42 


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THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
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OVERDUE. 


JUL 

3    1936 

RE&  era,  DEC  475 

•   - 

>jl 

r*r*n  4 

FEB  1 

2003 

MAR  2  9  1971 

N( 

'VI  9  197?  5  4 

2j 

H&G-QLO  KM 

^•72  -3  PM§4 

LD  21-100m-8,'34 


'i  I A    LI  P.I'. 


